To create a more collaborative and communicative learning environment, digital tools are often looked to as possible solutions. Miro, an online whiteboard, is one such tool that allows students to easily share ideas and exchange information using a range of different media. Its strengths are its ability to allow real-time sharing and creation of…

This practice article examines the design, implementation and impacts of a collaborative German language learning (LL) field trip in the United States through the conceptual framework of LL and teaching beyond the classroom. We explore the affordances of semi-structured out-of-class experiences in supporting world language students' target…

The use of virtual learning communities has shown great potential for language education. Research suggests that video-conferencing technology can assist teachers in creating such communities for second-language teaching. Gather.Town is a gamified, video-conferencing platform that revolutionizes the traditional static video-conferencing experience…

Technology is increasingly being used to foster engagement, enhance classroom dynamics, promote autonomy and improve the student learning experience in language learning environments. Many teachers have begun to employ digital apps and tools (e.g. Mentimeter and GoSoapBox) as a more interactive alternative to traditional activities. One product…

The languaging curriculum involves learning to strategically make use of available tools and resources to successfully do things with English for real-world purposes. In this article, we describe how languaging was implemented in a task where students communicate about a hobby of their choice on Reddit discussion forums. Over three weeks, the…

The current article presents a state-of-the-art review of research on the social factors that have been found to impact how learners acquire and use a second language (L2) sound system. These factors include ethnic group identification, gender, and study abroad experience. The research synthesis presents the key findings on each social factor,…

Creative use of language is a central tenet of learner-centric pedagogy, and as such has become a big part of today's language classrooms. Students who are allowed to use their creative impulses are often more engaged during in-class activities (Gregory et al., 2013). This is precisely one of the primary motivators for teachers to leverage…

A growing interest has been witnessed in analysing second language (L2) learner motivation in English as an Additional Language (EAL) instruction around the world. Despite extensive scholarship in this area, revisiting learner motivation is warranted due to some unprecedented developments that impact EAL teaching, such as the prevalence of World…

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of technological tools that were used by language teachers to develop their students' English language skills. As a result of the sudden shift to online instruction, teachers at the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Academy middle school had little time to prepare and had limited…

This article introduces a classroom innovation, which was developed based on the principles of multiliteracies and scaffolding to enhance the mastery of multimodal skills of oral presentations among tertiary English as Second Language (ESL) students. The innovation, named the Responsive Multimodal Oral Presentation Pedagogy (RMO2P), was designed…

Arising in Europe in the early 1990s, content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has become a popular educational approach. CLIL involves a dual focus on content and language learning with an additional language used as the medium of instruction. Although CLIL has received much attention and spread widely around the world, there is limited…

Many scholars and teachers in EFL education should agree that compared with reading and writing, listening has received much less attention. This brief article discusses important gaps existing in EFL listening and overall proficiency development. It presents the case for a greater focus on sounds and actual listening in the classroom and spoken…

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have contributed significantly to the advancement of society. In recent years, AI-powered writing assistants have received increasing attention among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) communities. However, most of these digital writing tools focus on the revision and editing stages. Few digital tools are…

Perusall, a web-based collaborative reading platform characterised by its social annotation functionalities, was introduced in a postgraduate teacher-training language-awareness course in Hong Kong during the shift to online teaching and learning brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Tasks were designed on Perusall to engage the…

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been varied, and while there was a clear upsurge in the use of technology in language and learning contexts during the worst lockdown periods, the long-term impact on technology usage remains to be seen. As has been widely noted, lockdowns forced teaching into remote modes, making technology indispensable.…